Medlar - Islands (2LP) [Delusions Of Grandeur]

Format: 2x12" color vinyl.

The indomitable Medlar, hailing from South London, presents an ambitious new album.

The underground veteran has collaborated with artists such as Dele Sosimi, Rebekah Reid, Deevoenay, Finn Peters, Sam Virdie, Afla Sackey, and Arnau Obiols on a work that pushes his production to new levels. From his early days playing illegal raves in the southwest to building a refined catalog that oscillates between house and garage, Medlar has been part of the underground conversation for years. He has released a previous album and numerous innovative remixes and edits for artists like Billy Cobham and Shirley Lites, has worked in the studio and on stage with Afrobeat legend Dele Sosimi, and more recently released an album under his own name compiling diverse sonic sketches created over the past 15 years.

Islands is a completely different proposition that comes after establishing himself as a mixing engineer and producer of other people's music. During that time, Medlar honed his skills, learned new techniques, and developed a greater ability to express himself through sound. The result is an album that explores a more electronic palette inspired by 80s fusion sounds, while maintaining a loose and organic flow thanks to the use of live instrumentation. "The idea for this LP was to create a collection of music that could stand on its own as club tracks, but at the same time integrate as a whole. The name Islands comes from that: there are ideas that connect them, but each track stands independently in its own sound world. I was heavily inspired by early 80s electronic music, produced in the early days of MIDI technology... proto house, jazz fusion, electronic disco, and experimental ambient. I wanted to juxtapose some of these methods with contemporary production and create something that, ultimately, was a lot of fun," Medlar comments on a record that could easily be the soundtrack to a summer road trip.

Across 11 tracks, he combines classic techniques such as the fusion of live instruments, FM synthesis, and MIDI-triggered vocal samples, with more contemporary elements like powerful dancefloor drums and deep, dub-inspired bass that shake the speakers. The result is a work less reliant on samples than his previous productions, achieving a perfect blend of retro authenticity and future freshness.